Several investments are required to expand our production.

In September 2021, our CNC machine park was expanded with a new Mazak VCN-530C. It is equipped with a fourth axis and an automatic chip conveyor. The machine park thus expands to a total of seven machining centers, four of which are equipped with a fourth axis. To create the necessary space for the new machine, an old, little-used Mazak QuickTurn lathe had to be decommissioned.

To keep up with the increased production volumes, a higher storage capacity is also required. As space is limited, only vertical storage remains an option – with a new pallet warehouse.

We have also grown in terms of personnel. Additional support is necessary for operating the new machine, as well as for processing subsequent work steps such as deburring, assembly, and goods dispatch.

40 years ago, on April 1, 1983, B&B Hydraulik-Technik GmbH was founded in Witten Herbede. The aim was the distribution of hydraulic components and accessories. Due to the demand for complete hydraulic systems, the focus was placed on the design and assembly of these. In 1987, a mechanical production facility was purchased and the construction of a production hall began in Hattingen. In 1994, the first CNC machining center was purchased. Since then, the business model has shifted from plant construction to the production of hydraulic control blocks in aluminum and steel. Today, by far the largest customer is the sister company B&B Fluidsysteme GmbH, founded in 1994, which supplies fully equipped valve blocks. The plant business only plays a subordinate role.

Up to 4,000 control blocks are tested in-house annually. For many safety-relevant applications, it is important to check the tightness of the blocks and valves, as well as the setting values and closing behavior of the valves. For this purpose, the cylinder blocks are mounted on the test bench by means of a test plate specially adapted to the block. Various load cases of the cylinder can be simulated. To avoid heat input, the pressure is generated with a pneumatically driven pressure intensifier, which realizes a moderate pressure build-up to test pressure and switches off. In addition, a unit is being built which can realize a volume flow of up to 15 l/min at a pressure of up to 350 bar. In addition to various lowering brake valves, pressure relief valves are also to be set here.

Opportunities must be seized! When the chance arose in 1992 to take over a representation for the American valve manufacturer SUN-Hydraulik, Helmut Brocke and Henning Bähr took it, founding B&B Fluidsysteme GmbH. This company is a subsidiary of B&B Hydraulik-Technik GmbH, with which the two Hattingen entrepreneurs have been successfully active in the market since 1983.

B&B Fluidsysteme GmbH is a market leader in safety controls for aerial work platforms, which transport personnel to heights of over 100 meters to perform work.

On the occasion of the company’s 25th anniversary, Jörn Kleinelümern from the IHK Hattingen Business Office presented a certificate and the IHK’s congratulations.

To the press release (external link)

“We begin where others leave off,” says Frank Fischer, Managing Director of Fischer Oberflächentechnik GmbH. In a concise statement, Mr. Fischer reiterates one of the essential core competencies and success factors in our region. Specialized products and processes of very high quality are the success factors. This was also discussed at the Professionals’ Breakfast, which was held on March 15 in cooperation with the Competence Network for Surface Technology e.V. at B&B Hydraulik-Technik GmbH.

Mr. Bähr and Mr. Brocke, both owners of B&B Hydraulik-Technik GmbH and B&B Fluidsysteme GmbH, explained the company, its products, and operational processes to the guests. “I am very pleased that we are once again holding this breakfast with the metalworkers, as it clearly demonstrates the synergy between metal processing and surface technology,” says Achim Gilfert, Managing Director of the Competence Network for Surface Technology e.V. Before the company tour, Thomas Heenen, network manager of FachwerkMetall, presented the company with an award certificate recognizing its strong commitment in the Ennepe-Ruhr district.

During the meeting, which was attended by 25 participants, production processes were discussed, and concrete solutions to inquiries were also debated. For B&B Hydraulik-Technik, the focus was particularly on coatings for small batch sizes of excellent quality from the region, which is generally not straightforward. With Fischer Oberflächentechnik GmbH, B&B has found a reliable partner. B&B Hydraulik also places great importance on the quality of training for young talent. Before working with CNC machines, apprentices in the company first learn the feel for the material and tools on traditional manual lathes and milling machines, as well as the extremely high quality standards in manufacturing.

The tightened emission standards for motor vehicles mean that exhaust gas treatment is becoming an increasingly complex and greater challenge.

As a result, the automotive industry has long since reacted, and in view of the stricter regulations, many manufacturers have made considerable progress. However, the tolerance of the current test procedure is subject to significant restrictions. Motor vehicles that were newly certified from September 2017 must comply with the Euro 6-Temp emission standard, or meet it. The limit values here are identical to those of the Euro 6 standard, but achieving the objective has been made even more difficult, as mentioned at the beginning. In practice, this means that the real exhaust emission behavior during driving is tested using the so-called “Real Driving Emission” – RDE for short. Since January 1, 2018, tailpipe measurement has been mandatory for all vehicles. In addition to more economical engines, alternative energy sources and particle filters, one way to reduce emissions is to save on the weight of the vehicle.

Especially in the truck class of 3.5 t, the standards mean a reduced payload. Manufacturers of truck bodies such as aerial work platforms must adapt to the more difficult conditions. Potential for weight savings in these bodies is offered by, among other things, the hydraulic control blocks, which are also an important component in all other comparable systems. The company B&B Fluidsysteme from Hattingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, in its core competence, supplies special solutions which, thanks to 25 years of experience and computer-aided design, take up this potential. The company adapts its products individually to the requirements and delivers the control blocks made to measure, ready for installation and tested to the customer.

Weight Saving Thanks to Computer Support

In addition to the selection of weight-reducing components, B&B manufactures aluminum housings (depending on the intended use also steel), which make the control blocks additionally lighter due to the material. By intensively considering the wall thicknesses and making appropriate adjustments, further weight can be saved. By means of computer calculation according to the “finite element method”, the construction is examined for strength and elongation. The latter is explicitly significant for anodized control block housings: During the pressure test with 50% higher pressure than the permissible operating pressure, the anodized layer must not crack due to the elongation of the material. Based on the tested parameters, the control block can be designed in such a way that the optimal ratio of functionality, durability and weight reduction is achieved. B&B Fluidsysteme can realize short delivery times even in a boom with 6 machining centers and a reliable screw-in valve partner, the company SUN-Hydraulik. The largest part of the portfolio is used in mobile hydraulics. The design drawings created during the respective development using a 3D CAD program can be made available to the customer so that they can use them to complete their technical representations.